Plants & Animals
This guide from the State Library of Florida explores the full range of Florida’s plant and animal life, from the mangroves of the Everglades to the iconic Florida panther.
Materials are generally available through interlibrary loan or from our circulating collection.
Links within the bibliographies take you to information in our State Library catalog or to more information on external sites.
General resources
- Knight, Gary R., editor. Atlas of Florida’s Natural Heritage: Biodiversity, Landscapes, Stewardship, and Opportunities. Institute of Science and Public Affairs, 2011.
- State Archives of Florida. “The Everglades in the Time of Marjory Stoneman Douglas.” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Endangered Species Act: Overview.
Plants
- Huegel, Craig Norman. Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes. University Press of Florida, 2012.
- Nelson, Gil. The Trees of Florida: A Reference and Field Guide. 2nd ed, Pineapple Press, 2010.
- Pittman, Craig. The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Beautiful Orchid. University Press of Florida, 2012.
- Small, John Kunkel. Flora of Miami. 1913.
- State Archives of Florida. “Florida Forestry Collection.” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- State Library of Florida. “Advertisement From the Plastic Plants Company for Tropical Plastic Houseplants.” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- Watkins, John V., et al. Florida Landscape Plants: Native and Exotic. 3rd ed, University Press of Florida, 2014.
- Wunderlin, Richard P. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. 3rd ed, University Press of Florida, 2011.
Animals
- Bartlett, Richard D., and Patricia Pope Bartlett. Florida’s Frogs, Toads, and Other Amphibians: A Guide to Their Identification and Habits. University Press of Florida, 2011.
- Bartlett, Richard D., and Patricia Pope Bartlett. Florida’s Turtles, Lizards, and Crocodilians: A Guide to Their Identification and Habits. University Press of Florida, 2011.
- Dorcas, Michael E., and John D. Willson. Invasive Pythons in the United States: Ecology of an Introduced Predator. University of Georgia Press, 2011.
- Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Annual Report on the Research and Management of Florida Panthers. 2001-present.
- Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Florida’s Endangered Species, Threatened Species, and Species of Special Concern. 2004-present.
- Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Yearly Manatee Mortality Statistics. 1974-present.
- Garner, Lindsey Amanda. Population Status of the American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) in North Carolina. Dissertation, North Carolina State University, 2016.
- Marks, Cynthia S., and George E. Marks. Bats of Florida. University Press of Florida, 2006.
- Newton, Michael. Florida’s Unexpected Wildlife: Exotic Species, Living Fossils, and Mythical Beasts in the Sunshine State. University Press of Florida, 2007.
- Olsen, Stanley John. Fossil Mammals of Florida (PDF). Florida Geological Survey, 1959.
- Perez, Larry. Snake in the Grass: An Everglades Invasion. Pineapple Press, 2012.
- Pittman, Craig. Manatee Insanity: Inside the War Over Florida’s Most Famous Endangered Species. University Press of Florida, 2010.
- Proctor, Noble S., and Patrick J. Lynch. A Field Guide to the Southeast Coast & Gulf of Mexico: Coastal Habitats, Seabirds, Marine Mammals, Fish, & Other Wildlife. Yale University Press, 2011.
- Reynolds, John Elliott, and Wayne Lynch. Florida Manatees: Biology, Behavior, and Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017.
- State Archives of Florida. “Alligators in the Backyard.” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- State Archives of Florida. “Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission Collection.” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- Turner-Turner, J. The Giant Fish of Florida. C.A. Pearson, 1902.
- Witherington, Blair E., and Dawn Witherington. Florida’s Living Beaches: A Guide for the Curious Beachcomber. Pineapple Press, 2007.
